Geopolitical Economy Report

The US government is openly backing the violent protests in Iran. An Israeli media outlet admitted foreign powers are arming Iranian rioters with weapons to try to overthrow the government. Ben Norton explains the geopolitical context and why the USA has sought regime change ever since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS4_eu-TF68 Topics 0:00 (CLIP) Trump supports Iran protests 0:11 Riots in Iran 0:42 Israeli media on arming Iranian 'protesters' 1:49 US-backed regime change attempt 3:14 (CLIP) Trump pushes Iran regime change 3:41 Trump threatens to attack Iran (again) 5:15 CIA coup in Iran in 1953 5:56 Crimes of US-backed shah 6:50 Iranian Revolution 7:53...

Donald Trump claims he will "run" Venezuela, after he bombed it and abducted President Nicolás Maduro. However, his plan makes no sense -- and will likely blow back on the USA. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez is still independent, and not cutting off China. US sanctions devastated Venezuela's oil infrastructure, and its heavy crude is expensive to produce -- and US companies do not see it as profitable enough, amid a global supply glut. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbpdfPK8jVE Topics 0:00 US attack on Venezuela 0:49 (CLIP) Trump: USA will "run the country" 1:31 Two ma...

To justify bombing Venezuela and abducting President Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump falsely accused him of leading the so-called "Cartel de los Soles". But the US Department of Justice was forced to admit that this "Suns Cartel" doesn't exist. The USA lied -- while the CIA actually has trafficked drugs in Latin America. Ben Norton reports. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44c0jf5ygyE Topics 0:00 US attacks Venezuela 0:21 (CLIP) Trump wants Venezuela's oil 1:12 Trump's colonial war on Venezuela 2:08 US DOJ admits it lied about Maduro 3:25 92-year-old judge oversees show trial 3:53 "Cartel de los Soles" doesn't exist 5:05 WMD lie 5:46 V...

After the US military bombed Venezuela and abducted President Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump said "we're going to run the country", potentially for years. "We're in the oil business", he added, boasting that US corporations will exploit Latin America's natural resources. Ben Norton reports. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZHOuHUboeY Topics 0:00 (CLIP) Trump: USA will "run" Venezuela 0:48 US coup attempts in Venezuela 1:55 Trump bombs Venezuela 2:44 Trump boasts of taking Venezuelan oil 3:17 Colonial Monroe Doctrine 3:46 Trump: "we're going to run the country" 4:23 Oil in Venezuela 5:08 Trump press conference 6:00 (CLIP) Trump's colonial plan 6:32 Years of US occupation? 7:23 (CLIP) US plan t...

The US government bombed Venezuela, and Donald Trump abducted President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country to be tried in a show trial on politically motivated charges. Ben Norton explains the real reasons behind the USA's imperialist war on Venezuela. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnD0p5F7MNs Topics 0:00 USA kidnaps Venezuela's President Maduro 1:07 Trump bombs Venezuela 2:01 Reasons for US war on Venezuela 5:00 Marco Rubio's crusade in Latin America 7:02 Political balance in Latin America 8:04 Venezuela's oil 9:43 (CLIP) Trump vows to take oil & ships 10:14 (CLIP) Trump wants oil & land 10:58 Coup leader María Corina Ma...

De-dollarization is growing around the world. Central banks are buying tons of gold, which overtook US Treasury securities in reserves in 2025. Even private investors are diversifying out of dollar assets, as risk rises. Ben Norton explains how Washington's sanctions, Trump's tariffs, and the weaponization of US-dominated international financial institutions have backfired. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVjy1Hlh5zc Topics 0:00 Dedollarization increases 1:36 US sanctions backfire 2:20 Donald Trump threatens BRICS 2:49 Central bank holdings of US Treasuries 3:59 China de-dollarizes 5:29 US trade war on China failed 7:10 Foreign holdings of US bonds 8:09 Government vs private investment 9:53 Central banks buy lots of gold 10:51...

In Cold War Two, the USA is pressuring countries to cut ties with China and recognize Taiwan separatists. Donald Trump blatantly meddled in Honduras' 2025 election and backed a political coup to put in power right-wing oligarch Nasry "Tito" Asfura, who strongly supports Taiwan and Israel. Ben Norton discusses US imperialism in Latin America. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhV7wRi8yYM Topics 0:00 Cold War Two 0:48 Monroe Doctrine 1:27 One China policy 2:23 US arms sales to Taiwan 3:09 Countries that recognize Taiwan 5:04 Map of Taiwan recognition 5:29 Electoral coup in Honduras 7:14 US-backed 2009 military coup 7:53 Trafficker Juan Orlando Hernández 9:05 Trump meddles in H...

The US government is seizing oil tankers and stealing Venezuela's crude. Donald Trump boasted that the USA will "keep" the oil and the ships. This is piracy. Ben Norton explains how Washington is blatantly violating international law in its imperialist war on Venezuela. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_pxZ-Rl6DM Topics 0:00 USA is stealing Venezuela's oil 0:58 (CLIP) Trump: "We're keeping" the oil 1:22 Worst piracy on Earth 2:33 Trump's war plans 3:51 US blockade & sanctions are illegal 5:19 UN experts: US bombing is illegal 6:57 (CLIP) Trump: Venezuela's oil is ours 7:41 US laws don't apply worldwide 9:06 Maduro asks UN for action 9:59 China...

Donald Trump imposed a naval blockade on Venezuela and admitted that he wants to take the country's oil and give it to US corporations: "They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. They threw our companies out, and we want it back". Ben Norton explains how Washington's colonial war seeks regime change. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXjnaqfzO-Y Topics 0:00 Intro 0:36 Venezuela nationalized huge oil reserves 1:36 Trump claims US owns Venezuela's oil 2:32 (CLIP) Trump on Venezuela's oil 3:19 Trump's 1st coup attempt in Venezuela 4:32 (CLIP) Trump wanted to "take it over" 4:44 ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson 6:04 Stephen...

The winner of Chile's presidential election, José Antonio Kast, is the son of a German Nazi official. He is a US-backed far-right extremist who loves Donald Trump, Israel, and fascist former dictator August Pinochet. He is also very anti-China, and will assist in Washington's attempt to impose its imperialist Monroe Doctrine. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYtCi-Wh3FU Related videos: Javier Milei is making Argentina a resource colony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3qgYZMYkj0 Why Trump is meddling in Honduras: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKShReciYQ Topics 0:00 US interventions in Latin America 2:18 J...

How does China's economic model work? Political economist Ben Norton explains the ideas behind Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, discussing China's socialist market economy, historical development, reform process, poverty reduction, industrial policy, and more. VIDEO with charts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E89qUXTX-k Topics 0:00 Introduction 1:07 China has world's largest economy 3:01 China's economic development 3:54 Poverty reduction 6:56 Rising incomes 7:42 Life expectancy 8:57 Mortality rates 9:34 Reform and Opening Up 10:16 To get rich is glorious? 11:35 Deng Xiaoping's ideology 13:54 Primary stage of socialism 14:28 Chinese capitalists 15:54 Industrialization & urbanization 16:55 Birdcage economy (Chen Yun) 18:17 State ownership 19:40 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) 20:49 Grasp the large, let go of the small 22:22...

The Donald Trump administration revealed the US empire's new plan for global dominance in the 2025 National Security Strategy. The goal is to impose hegemony in the Western Hemisphere, reviving the colonial Monroe Doctrine, to move supply chains out of Asia and bring manufacturing into Latin America via "nearshoring", in order to economically decouple from China and prepare for conflict in Cold War Two. Ben Norton analyzes the important document. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idkurWogst8 Topics 0:00 Summary of US National Security Strategy 2:45 US economic dependency on China 5:25 USA loses China war games 6:45 Why Trump targets Latin America 7:41 Marco...

Donald Trump pardoned and freed from prison one of the world's worst drug dealers, the former dictator of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH), who was convicted of trafficking 400 tons of cocaine and machine guns into the US. Ben Norton explains how the United States has meddled in Honduran elections, backed fraud, and supported a military coup. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtKShReciYQ Topics 0:00 Trump pardons notorious drug trafficker 2:16 US support for Juan Orlando Hernández (JOH) 2:59 Trump threatens war on Venezuela 5:45 Journalist addresses Trump's drug hypocrisy 7:04 (CLIP) Trump blames Biden for drug arrest 7:36 USA backed Honduran narco-regime 8:01 Co...

The most overvalued stock on Earth may be that of Palantir, the corporate Big Brother that is getting huge contracts from the Trump administration and helps the US government wage war and carry out mass surveillance. Executives have been selling billions of dollars worth of shares, yet CEO Alex Karp attacks short-sellers like "Big Short" investor Michael Burry, claiming they're "crazy" for thinking the company is in a bubble. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OuoAFp54Y Topics 0:00 Financial bubbles 0:31 AI bubble 1:01 Palantir 1:35 Investors short Palantir stock 1:58 (CLIP) CEO Alex Karp attacks short sellers 2:10 Targeting...

The US economy depends on an unsustainable stock market bubble driven by AI companies that are almost all losing money. Nvidia seems healthier, but serious red flags explain why its stock price is extremely volatile, and why its market capitalization dropped $600 billion in just one day. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAZqYQBwWNY Topics 0:00 AI bubble & Nvidia 2:40 Magnificent Seven (Mag7) Big Tech stocks 4:01 US GDP growth depends on AI capex 5:01 AI circular financing scheme 6:28 OpenAI is losing money, but owes $1.4 trillion 7:38 Nvidia profits rise in earnings report 9:27 US investor madness 12:04 China challenges Nvidia's chip monopoly 13:43 Crazy...

Donald Trump vowed to "take over" and "own" Gaza. The US government plans to divide the Palestinian territory into a "green zone" run by Western allies, while trapping Gazans in a "red zone", which won't be rebuilt. The USA hopes investors will make hundreds of billions of dollars. Ben Norton reports on the colonial scheme. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW3wX4bVoU4 Topics 0:00 Colonial US-Israeli plan for Gaza 1:29 Israel's fake Gaza "ceasefire" 4:27 Trump vows to "take over" Gaza 4:49 (CLIP) Trump: USA will "own" Gaza 5:04 Plan to divide Gaza 6:00 Map of Gaza divisions 6:50 European troops will occupy Gaza 8:04 "...

Donald Trump admitted he wants to “take over” Venezuela and its oil. Marco Rubio is overseeing the war plans, aiming to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro and install US puppet María Corina Machado, who vowed to privatize Venezuela's natural resources and sell off $1.7 trillion of her country's assets to North American corporations. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QukbgnkuPVY Topics 0:00 US war on Venezuela 1:16 (CLIP) Trump wants to take Venezuela's oil 1:28 Venezuela has world's largest oil reserves 1:37 US coup attempt with Juan Guaidó 2:08 US support for dictatorships in Latin America 2:36 Venezuela has critical minerals, like rare ea...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang fears China will win the AI race, as OpenAI asks the US government for "federal guarantees" and a "backstop". The unsustainability of the enormous AI bubble is becoming clear to everyone, and Silicon Valley Big Tech executives want to be guaranteed a bailout. Ben Norton explains. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4odSW2lSUyI Check out our related video on the AI bubble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXCVrLPTUHQ Topics 0:00 (CLIPS) OpenAI wants US gov't "backstop" 0:31 US-China AI race 1:13 Nvidia sells shovels in AI gold rush 3:05 China restricts Nvidia chips 3:47 Nvidia CEO: China is...

The US government is politically isolated on the world stage. This can be seen in the UN General Assembly votes demanding an end to the USA's embargo of Cuba. Almost all of the world opposes the illegal economic blockade. Ben Norton explains how the CIA has waged a terrorist war on Cuba, Venezuela, and other parts of Latin America for decades. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKF-jrrv5yA Sources and links here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/11/03/embargo-blockade-cuba-un-vote/ Check out our related video on Trump's neocolonial attacks on Latin America: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2025/10/27/donroe-doctrine-trump-neocolonial-plan-latin-america/ Topics 0:00 US government is very unpopular 1:21...

Donald Trump is losing the trade war on China, which he started. The agreement he made at the meeting with President Xi Jinping shows how the US is much more dependent on the Chinese economy than vice versa. Political economist Ben Norton explains how Trump's tariffs have hurt American workers, especially farmers, while China advances as a new technological and manufacturing superpower. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWrdxBODSUE Topics 0:00 Trump's meeting with Xi Jinping 1:07 China successfully defends itself 2:58 China is a new "economic superpower" 4:04 This is a one-year "tactical detente" 4:47 Details of Trump-Xi agreement 6:20 Trump undoes "self-inflicted" damage 7:02...